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What to do when your health fails you?

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  • Scottowl
    replied
    It was better than I expected.
    My doctor hit me with a lot of stuff at once, and I didn't process it very well.
    For visits in the future, my phone has a voice recording function that I need to learn to use.
    Also, remembering to use it will be helpful.

    Leave a comment:


  • Carmella
    replied
    Originally posted by Scottowl View Post
    Kinda good, kinda bad news from my doctor.
    My PSA was normal.
    The ultrasound showed gallstones and fatty deposits on my liver.
    He would like to remove my gall bladder. I would like for him to not do that.
    AS far as the liver, I first have to get the high triglycerides under control, the the blood glucose.
    Sounds like overall good news Scottowl

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  • Barbisi
    replied
    Again, I will say I have never regretted removing my gallbladder because I have always had excellent blood tests -before my most recent surgery, my doctors have always marveled at my bloodwork for hdl, triglycerides,etc. -they have told me I have good "genes"(i.e. for lab results). In other words, I am not likely to get diabetes or have a heart attack any time soon!
    Of course, I don't often drink alcohol, never haven taken drugs (which makes me hate the drug culture in Colorado),detest cigarettes because I trained vocally, I avoid the brutal Colorado sun like the plaque, prefer salads to greasy hamburgers and too salty fries, love exercise (though not hiking,skiing and other Colorado mountain outdoor pursuits). In other words,while I am the most "boring" person ,because I am "only" interested in languages,international film, world culture,art and literature, I am actually quite healthy and look reasonably youthful despite ten years of Colorado injuries, sprains and a worsening , diseased uterus that had to be removed. My lack of a gallbladder has not affected my life here or elsewhere and I do not take any medications at all, nor have any doctors ever told me my health was comprised in any way by not keeping my gallbladder!
    IMHO, once I am allowed to return to sea level , I believe I will thrive, not just survive (as I have to to do in Colorado.)
    I do not miss those long ago side pains and unexpected 'attacks' -since I choose "better" food and drink whenever possible, I don't miss wretched pepperoni pizza and copious amounts of soda,etc. LOL (Not that I ever liked those foods in the first place,haha!)
    Last edited by Barbisi; 11-24-2020, 10:35 PM.

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  • sophieanne
    replied
    shipo - thanks for your note. When I asked, it was because I really never knew of potential issues/risks. I had mine removed laparoscopically a number of years ago and I’ve never had high cholesterol. Before the surgery I was violently sick after eating certain foods and had ongoing side pains..after the surgery, none. I am careful of not over indulging in fatty and spicy foods, but other than that my life never changed. I honestly have never thought about it since it was done. I never suggested it was trivial ..I was just curious what the concerns were.

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  • shipo
    replied
    The issue with having a gall bladder removed is your body cannot properly meter out bile which helps in digesting lipid molecules which do not dissolve in water, including fatty acids, waxes, and fat-soluble vitamins. As I remember it from when she had her issue, the side-effects of not being able to digest fats and such can, over time, result in high cholesterol and arterial plaque. Granted it has been a while since I looked it all up, but the gall bladder does in fact serve a function and having it removed is not exactly a trivial matter.

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  • sophieanne
    replied
    I had my gallbladder removed laparoscopically and there were no after effects or problems. What is the concern about doing it?

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  • Barbisi
    replied
    Well, when I was quite young (and in college,in fact ) I was diagnosed with two gallstones and had a laparoscopic gallbladder removal and never had any side effects or complications whatsoever. I don't recall having any diagnosis of fatty liver. Maybe you can have a diseased gallbladder with out the liver being involved.
    I think your insurance coverage may dictate what your next steps may be. If you have very good coverage, and can tolerate the surgery , you may be better off to just remove the comprised organ .
    I tried homeopathic routes with the uterine fibroids and nothing worked and I could no longer live with the daily problems they entailed. So I had a major three hour surgery in the middle of a pandemic!
    I think you may need a second opinion and need to do a lot of research. Let your symptoms be your guide. My now deceased mother had her gallbladder removed at an advanced age and did remarkably well. Just don't do anything rash and take your time -figure out what you can afford financially and physically .
    Best of luck on finding the right resolution for your situation, Scottowl -don't give up and continue hanging in there!

    Leave a comment:


  • shipo
    replied
    Six years ago my wife was diagnosed with "Fatty Liver Disease", an inflamed gall bladder and gall stones. She did a lot of research and ended up going down the path of using a homeopathic "gall bladder flush"; the process isn't pleasant, but it sure as hell beats having your gall bladder removed. If I recall correctly, she did it, then repeated the process three months later, six months after that, and then once more a year later. She's been good to go since.

    Leave a comment:


  • Scottowl
    replied
    Kinda good, kinda bad news from my doctor.
    My PSA was normal.
    The ultrasound showed gallstones and fatty deposits on my liver.
    He would like to remove my gall bladder. I would like for him to not do that.
    AS far as the liver, I first have to get the high triglycerides under control, the the blood glucose.

    Leave a comment:


  • Barbisi
    replied
    Well, in our case the furnace is still working, but we bought one new space heater and already had one as a backup from a while back (i.e.before BK13). We finally got the swamp cooler covered today and were told a new one would cost $4200 (We think the motor is about to go! ) The sprinklers aren't working perfectly and our very large yard is overdo for areation. We have already been "warned "about the $4500 laundry room pipe repair.
    My husband has to go for a colonoscopy next week -hopefully no cancer! He has some unhealthy readings due to his diet (and genetics!) and some high BP readings but he wants to try and eat better and lose some weight. I think avoiding BP medicine at a one mile altitude is the wisest choice for now. (I know a Colorado woman (who moved to NM earlier this year) with severe bouts of gout and many ER visits only because her BP medicine was not the correct dose . We need to avoid side effects like that while we are struggling to make it through BK13 and now an almost total Covid-19 lock down, just implemented this week to combat the surging new numbers.
    Hopefully, the vaccine will be distributed soon and no front line workers will be infected before then.

    Leave a comment:


  • Carmella
    replied
    Scottowl I hope the ultrasound went ok. I do understand that BK is stressful and anything can happen.

    One day the furnace kept trying to rev up and didn't work. I shut it down for a day and then it worked the next day. I feel like we are on borrowed time. My husband's car is sitting in the driveway NOT fixed yet. The tree by our garage, the tree that hit the garage early this year and the insurance company wouldn't remove the whole tree even though it was obviously rotting. Well, the rest of the tree came down on Sunday. I am so happy it did NOT hit my neighbor's fence. I need to call the insurance company. I procrastinated. The tree smashed our fence in the backyard which I can live with since it's a 23 yr old fence we wanted to get rid of anyway. My dryer is on it's last leg making funny noises. There's always something. Not to mention the Covid threat since I work in a nursing home. At least I get tested for free twice a week. But if I am ever positive myself and my husband will be out of work for a minimum of 2 weeks even if we are not sick. And we aren't getting any younger. My husband never sees a doctor, sometimes I worry he's a ticking time bomb especially after a friend lost her "I don't need to see a doctor" husband last year, he was younger than my husband. I have high blood pressure and who knows anything can happen. I have had three co-workers with cancer. One older, one younger and one close to my age.

    We never know, we just need to do our best and try not to worry that the worst case scenario is going to happen. And if anything happens take it one day at a time.

    Leave a comment:


  • Barbisi
    replied
    Scottowl, I hope your ultrasound went well and nothing ominous was discovered.Keep us posted!
    You are so right about our roller coaster BK13 ride! It has been more than three and a half years of uncertainty and near-constant and unending stress -as some one once said, "it's always something!" (And of course, no one can blame me for being sick of it and ready to really live life again far away from many bitter memories.)
    Carmella , you too are right about my surgery going much better than it initially appeared and for that I am grateful, but I can't help worrying about what may still come our way before 2022 liberation . I so look forward to being able leave Colorado forever. Maybe once your BK13 is behind you , your BP will return to a normal range.

    Leave a comment:


  • Scottowl
    replied
    Well Carmella, I'm going in for an ultrasound in the morning. I don't know specifically what they are looking at, other than my abdomen. I guess I shouldn't worry, but this isn't my normal annual blood test.

    Leave a comment:


  • Carmella
    replied
    Scottowl I always think of you and wonder how you are doing. I am glad you are posting, but sorry to hear about the Diabetes. While there can be complications people can live quite well with it also. I hope you are able to adjust to some of the medical issues and it stablizes. I can't answer the questions about what to do with the BK if you can't work, but I am sure there is some sort of escape clause even if it's the Chapter 7 which I think would probably be the most unsettling (for me personally). While it's good to be prepared for the worst, try not to think it will only be the worst. The doctor probably put some fear into you so you know it's serious and you have to make changes. I work in health care so I know some of the general issues of diabetes. My cousin has had juvenile (type 1) and he now has complications once he hit his 50's. I am assuming yours is Type II adult onset which has a bit of a different course.

    Focus on healthy changes and do your best that's all you can do. And this is another reason to stay off the booze/sugar. I am sure you know that and I am not saying this to preach to you. I just want to say do your best make healthy changes and see where it goes. Keep coming back to this forum to let us know how you are doing with BK as well as your health.

    Is there anyone you can talk to through support groups for either gambling or alcohol? I imagine in person support groups are scarce with Covid.
    Please don't be too harsh on yourself. I think a lot of us think the worst when we find out something "bad."


    Franco I have high blood pressure also, have been on meds. I never felt any ill effects from it. Back in the 70's/80's it was referred to as the "silent killer." It's good you found out and can get it under control. I am overweight and keep trying, have lost weight in the past and just need to get back in the swing now that I have less/different life stressors. I honestly think the monetary stress was the worst stress with having a terrible job (in the past) running a close second.


    Barbisi your situation is one of those what seemed a lot worse than it ended up to be. I think that's very good to think about and how common it is to worry about the worst case scenario. I agree that BK is no walk in the park and not the "best thing," but I think it is a very good thing for me as there was no way out of the cash problem and I accept the ups and downs as kind of a penance even though I should not since we are paying back 100%. Maybe penance is the wrong word it's more of a consequence of our poor management of what life threw at us--since is it a combo of life events out of our control and our poor management in what we could control! I have that fear way back in the furthest corner of my mind what would we do if something disabled me or my husband or if we lost the job, etc But I keep it tucked away and think if something really happens that is the time to think more about it without obsessing about the worst case scenario.

    Leave a comment:


  • Scottowl
    replied
    Well Franco, I too drank my and about 10 other guys share in my lifetime.
    I did quit when I filed BK last September, but I have not been able to totally stop. I haven't been falling down drunk for quite a few years, if that gets me a consolation prize! If you put in the work you will get where you want to be.
    Barbsi, I sometimes get motion sickness following along the roller coaster your case is! What is it Murphy says? Things will break, and at the worst possible time.
    For me, BK was a positive, only because I had money management problems. Right now? It's adding to my stress level.

    I really wonder if the 5 year plan can be reduced to 3 if ones income is reduced to under the number in the means test.
    I thought I read something in the old forum about a hardship discharge as well.

    The secured items in my plan are house and 2 vehicles. It would not be the end of my world to let all 3 go back right now.

    Leave a comment:

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